Chapter 4
Monster
(Rinoa)
Falling.
The Sorceress Adel is a giant, twice Rinoa's size. As Adel dies, her body collapses and her power, the power of a sorceress, flows into Rinoa. Rinoa's barely aware of accepting Adel's powers as the sorceress crumbles, her body breaking apart into dust. Rinoa falls from Adel's chest and lands hard on the floor. Her hands, elbows, and knees cry out at the sudden shock, but thankfully nothing is broken. Behind her, Adel continues to destruct, until there is nothing left of the sorceress that terrorized Esthar and the world for a generation.
Rinoa struggles to her feet. The world around her is green, glowing green with the rocky interior of the Lunatic Pandora. A green so bright it seems to hum. Rinoa knows what is coming. Denied the body of Adel, the Sorceress Ultimecia will take the next—and last—available substitute. Rinoa braces herself for the inevitable.
Ultimecia doesn't come as a wave, or a slow, creeping power. She is instant, overwhelming, utterly irresistible. One moment Rinoa is standing, the ruins of the battle against Adel around her, her friends standing nearby. Squall, looking at her, his eyes both frantic and determined. The next, Rinoa is only a passenger in her own body. The power consumes her, as Ultimecia's mind and her endless, endless rage push Rinoa into a dark corner of her own consciousness. Rinoa is helpless.
"Ellone!" Laguna yells. "Now's your chance!"
The name "Ellone" sparks a hint of recognition in Ultimecia's memory that Rinoa can feel course through her as if the thought were her own. A memory of a world-wide hunt; a target that escaped Ultimecia again and again. But the recognition does nothing to quell Ultimecia's fury. Instead, it only adds to it.
Rinoa had always believed that she hated her father. That she hated Vizner Deling and the atrocities he had committed against the nation of Timber. But she had never known hatred like this. There is no thought or rationality. No cause or effect. No fear, no remorse, no hesitation. The hatred within Ultimecia is absolute and indivisible.
But before Ultimecia can act, Ellone's power takes over. Even Ultimecia is unable to stop it as both she and Rinoa are taken back in time, to a point years in the past. The world fades to black, and the sounds and chaos of the Lunatic Pandora are silenced.
Falling again.
The sensation of falling is the first thing that comes to Rinoa's mind. At first, she thinks this feeling is a side-effect of Ellone's power at work, until she realizes that she is literally falling. Hard-packed earth slams into her shoulder, her body, her legs. Her head snaps against the cool dirt. Her eyes open, dazed, but not seriously injured.
She tries to move her body, but she cannot. Ultimecia is still in control. She is just as disoriented as Rinoa, but her fury and her power still hold sway. From the dark corner of her mind, Rinoa assesses the situation, to try to find answers.
The body she inhabits is small, frail. She is a girl, not quite a woman yet, but nearing that age. She is dressed in rough clothes that itch on her skin. She can feel the weight of many necklaces and bracelets on her body. Rinoa wants to see them, but Ultimecia chooses instead to look to the horizon, to establish her location. There is nothing to see in the distance. Only endless, rolling hills of bare, speckled dirt and a cloudless blue sky.
Ultimecia finally recovers enough to make this body sit upright. Dirt clings to her skin, and Ultimecia brushes it off.
"Adel!" a man's voice shouts. Ultimecia turns her head to look at the voice. To her left, a man is sitting on two-wheeled wooden cart. Pulling the cart is a filthy, exhausted chocobo. It hangs its head, its beak almost dragging on the ground. Inside the cart are wooden boxes and tools.
"Adel!" the man says again. He leaps off the cart and runs around the chocobo, racing to the fallen girl, to Ultimecia, to Rinoa. He is dressed in a plain brown tunic, ragged and torn around the edges. Bracelets and necklaces adorn his body. His body speaks of a man who has spent his life in hard, physical labor. His strong, calloused hands grip the girl's shoulders as he kneels down to examine her.
"Adel, are you all right?" the man asks. His eyes are as blue as the sky.
Ultimecia does not recognize this man, yet still she despises him. She narrows her eyes—her stolen eyes. She says, "Where is this?" The voice is the child's voice, the mouth is the child's, but the tone, the inflection is Ultimecia's.
The man doesn't seem to understand the question. "You fell off the cart, Adel. Are you hurt? Did something happen?"
For the first time, Ultimecia looks down at her new form. She is dressed similarly to the man, the same brown tunic and the same intricate jewelry. Her skin is darkened from the sun, like the man's, and is marred by old cuts and scrapes.
Rinoa is surprised. A part of her knew that Adel was once a regular human. That she wasn't always the giant monstrosity with discolored, sickly skin and inhuman features. But she hadn't expected Adel to be so completely… normal.
(Is this what happens to a sorceress over time? Do they all change like Adel?)
While Rinoa contemplates this, Ultimecia has other concerns. She makes Adel shrug aside the man's grip and get to her feet. She scans the horizon, still trying to get a sense for her location. The only thing visible is a low mountain range barely discernible on the horizon. Nothing else.
Nearby, a few dozen other wooden carts move along the land, pulled by other chocobos. It seems, to Rinoa, like a tribe migrating from one place to another. But what tribe, and where were they going?
"I do not recognize this place," Ultimecia says, using Adel's mouth. "Where is this?"
The man's features change. His eyes go from concern to fear, and coldness. He straightens up and takes a measured step backwards.
"Adel," he says. "What is my name?"
Somehow, Ultimecia's limitless fury intensifies even further. The sheer force of it feels as though she's about to rip apart Adel's body, just from hatred alone.
"Answer me," Ultimecia says. "Answer me now."
Rinoa begins to get worried. Ellone was only supposed to send her back for a few moments, long enough for Ultimecia to cast the spell for time compression. But it feels as though minutes have passed, and still Rinoa is locked in the past, in Adel's body.
(Has something gone wrong?)
The man slowly exhales. He turns his head slightly, but never takes his eyes off of Adel.
"Mother," he says. "Mother, I need you."
A nearby cart slows to a stop. Ultimecia does not react or turn her head, so Rinoa is unable to see what is happening. She can hear as someone slowly gets off the stopped cart and shuffles over to the man.
The image of an old woman enters Ultimecia's sight. Only then does Ultimecia turn and look at the woman. She is the only one in the tribe not dressed in brown. Her clothes are of soft, purple fabric, interwoven with silver sigils. Her hair is long, gray, and clean.
"What is the trouble, Durand?" the woman asks. Despite her age, her voice is strong and youthful.
"The sickness is among us again, Mother," Durand says. "It has taken Adel."
The woman turns to face Adel. Her eyes are piercing. Rinoa feels as if the woman is not looking at Adel, or Ultimecia, but directly at Rinoa. As if the woman can peer right into Adel's mind and see that there are other forces inside of her, fighting for control.
"Speak, demon," the woman says.
"I have no time for this," Ultimecia says. She raises her hand and exerts an effort of willpower, summoning her energy and directing it towards the woman.
But nothing happens. The woman is unmoved, and the man also unaffected. Ultimecia scowls, then looks to the chocobo. She raises her hand again and directs all her fury at it. It shakes its head, rattling its harness, but seems not to notice Ultimecia.
"Adel has no power for you to claim, demon," the woman says. "She is too young to accept the burden."
Ultimecia's fury continues to rise. Rinoa is sure that she will be driven insane by Ultimecia's hatred. But for the first time, it is now an impotent rage. Ultimecia cannot simply destroy her enemies with a thought, and the idea of her own helplessness triggers the first emotion Rinoa has felt from her aside from rage.
Inside Ultimecia's heart, a small note of fear plays.
She turns to run, but the man is expecting this. In two steps he is upon her, grabbing her roughly by the arms.
"LET ME GO!" Ultimecia screams using Adel's mouth. Every muscle in her body resists. She kicks, twists, spins, but the man's grip is unshakable, digging painfully into the meat of her arms. "LET ME GO LET ME GO!"
By now, every eye in the tribe is watching the scene, but only Rinoa is aware of this. Ultimecia's only thought is of escape, of distancing herself from the man. The man who makes her feel powerless.
The man Durand turns her around and drags her back to the woman. Her face is unreadable, her expression mute. Still Ultimecia struggles, even though the futility of her resistance is now unquestionable.
She meets the old woman's gaze and stops struggling. Rinoa can feel her still trying to throw magic at the woman, but Adel's body does not respond to the order. Ultimecia can only command what is there to claim, and Adel has no magic at this time.
The old woman closes her eyes, and begins muttering in an unusual language.
"You have no power over me, crone," Ultimecia says, the calmness in her words hiding the turmoil in her heart. "Your words are nonsense. Let me go."
After a moment, the old woman opens her eyes again. Eyes that carry a serenity that matches Ultimecia's fury. Her mouth opens and two words cross her lips.
"Be gone."
And the world vanishes into darkness.
It is the sensation of touch that returns first to Rinoa. The ground below her is hard and metallic. Her body aches and her skin is cold. But when she opens her eyes, when she gets to her feet, it is her will that moves her body, her eyes that look out at her friends, at Squall. She is herself again, and Ultimecia's fury is gone.
She tries to say what she saw. Although she does not understand what happened, she feels that there is something immensely important about that sequence of Adel's past. The old woman, the caravan of people, Adel's childhood. She wants to tell it all.
"I was… inside Adel," Rinoa says. "The young Adel."
But before she can continue, the world starts to move out of focus. At first she thinks it is an aftereffect of her experiences, but soon she realizes that the others see it too. The world is contorting, turning to liquid and melting away.
"Ultimecia's inside Adel," Laguna says. "Exactly as she wanted. Okay, this is the showdown, folks! Time compression is about to begin. 'Love, friendship, and courage!' Show 'em what you got!"
And there is no time for stories. Moment leads to moment, battle follows battle, and soon Rinoa has all but forgotten the vision of Adel's past. Until she is walking down the halls of Balamb Garden. She'd watched her father's video on cable the day prior, and she is thinking of him, and the mission to assassinate Sorceress Edea.
Thoughts of Edea lead to thoughts of Adel, and suddenly all the memories come back. She has to tell Squall. Not just because she wants him to know about it, to share her experiences with him, but because she can't escape the feeling that there is something very, very critical about what happened. But despite her efforts, she cannot find what was so important about the memory.
(Maybe Squall will know.)
Squall was silent for several seconds. His arms were crossed, and he was leaning against his desk in his dorm room. Rinoa sat on his bed, looking up at him. Warm sunlight poured through his window and splashed on the floor. He was in full SeeD uniform, black, with a rope around the shoulder and other frills and medals that Rinoa did not understand.
"Well?" Rinoa asked. "What do you think?"
Squall sighed. "It's not much to go on. The landscape you described sounds like the Centra Continent, but that's just a guess. And these people, these nomads. I've never heard of anything like it. And you're sure it's the same Adel?"
Rinoa shrugged. "How many Adels can there be? And… I don't know how to say it. But when I was junctioned to Adel, I felt her somehow. Her mind, I guess. I could feel it again inside that girl, but different. Younger. But it was the same person. I know it."
"You're right," Squall said. He seemed to be speaking half to Rinoa and half to himself. "And Ellone can only send people into other people she knows. She knows Adel, which is why she chose her. So yeah… sorry. Dumb question."
Rinoa smiled. "It's alright. I'm glad you're taking this so seriously. I was worried you'd just say, 'it doesn't mean anything,' and then go away."
Squall put a hand on his hip. "I think I deserve a little more credit than that."
"You're getting better, I'll admit," Rinoa said. "But… I mean. The old woman. That's what's really got me worried. What did she do?"
Squall shook his head. "You got me. She could be another sorceress. There's a lot we don't know about the sorceresses and their powers. Who knows what kind of spells she could have cast? Or she might have something like Ellone's power, but I always thought that was unique to Ellone. It'd be a big deal if we found out there were more people like her."
"But she said 'be gone,' like she was getting rid of Ultimecia permanently," Rinoa said. "I thought Ellone just sent people into the past. That wouldn't get rid of Ultimecia forever, right?"
"Good point," Squall said. Squall pushed himself off his desk and stood to his full height. "I really don't have any answers. Someone in Esthar might know more about Adel's past. About who she was, where she came from. They might also know who these nomads were. We can try and see if we can get into contact with them."
"Eee!" Rinoa said. She leapt from the bed and threw her arms around Squall, bumping him back against his desk. The items on his desk shook, then resettled.
"What? What is it?" Squall said. He put a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm just glad you're taking it so serious," Rinoa said. "I thought… I thought maybe you wouldn't care about some stupid little thing like that, when so much is going on right now."
Squall looked into her eyes. "Of course I care. Why would you think I wouldn't?"
"I don't know," Rinoa said. She still held on to Squall, but relaxed her grip a little. "I've just felt a little alone lately. Like no one understands."
"Garden is full of people," Squall said. "How can you feel alone?"
"They're not people," Rinoa said. "They're SeeDs. That's different."
"SeeDs are people," Squall said. He narrowed his eyes in confusion.
"Yeah, but…" Rinoa trailed off. She let go of Squall and turned around. "Nevermind. It's not important."
(He wouldn't get it anyway.)
"What?" Squall said. "Is something wrong?"
Rinoa changed the subject. "Do you know how to get ahold of Esthar?"
Squall shook his head. "No. They've been in a communications blackout since the Sorceress War. Nothing goes in or out of Esthar. The Ragnarok could get into contact with Esthar Airfield, but the Ragnarok is probably still stuck in the side of the Lunatic Pandora, where we left it."
"But the Ragnarok used a radio, right?" Rinoa said. "Couldn't we just figure out the frequency?"
"It was probably an encoded frequency," Squall said. "Esthar wouldn't take chances by broadcasting over a public frequency that just anyone could get onto. Kinda defeats the purpose of being in a communications blackout."
"Oh… shoot," Rinoa said. She sat down on his bed. "And they're so far away too…"
"Yeah," Squall said. He paused for a moment, lost in thought. "But you know who isn't far away?"
"Who?"
"Matron. Edea," Squall said. "She may not know about Adel specifically, but she knows more than anybody else about sorceresses in general. She might have a clue."
"Great!" Rinoa said. She clapped her hands together. "Let's go ask her."
"I don't know if I have the time…" Squall said.
Rinoa pouted. They locked eyes for a second, then Squall relented.
"… Eh, we're just in a holding pattern now anyway," he said. "Until either Timber or Galbadia makes a move, we don't have anything to do just yet, so it's not like I have anything urgent to attend to. So yeah, let's go."
"Eee!" Rinoa said. She leapt to her feet.
"That noise you're making," Squall said. "You've never done that before. Now you're doing it all the time."
"I'm trying it out. Do you like it?"
"I don't know if 'like' is the right word."
"You are zero fun, Squall," Rinoa said. She poked him in the chest. "Zero fun."
"Let's go find Matron," Squall said. He turned and opened his dorm room door. As he stepped out into the hall, Rinoa latched onto his free hand, holding it in one of hers. Squall paused and looked down at their clasped hands. He looked up to Rinoa.
"I don't know if that's entirely appropriate," Squall said.
"Is there a rule against it?" Rinoa said, refusing to let go.
"I'm the SeeD Commander," Squall said. "And I'm in uniform."
"That's right," Rinoa said. "You're the SeeD Commander. Who's going to tell you what to do?"
"I have to set an example for the others."
"And you'll set an example," Rinoa said, smiling. "Commander of SeeD and a great boyfriend at the same time. Truly a man of many talents."
Squall thought about it for a moment. "I guess if there's no rule against it…"
"Eee!" Rinoa said, bouncing on her toes. "Or should I stop saying that? How about… Hooray! No, that sounds phony. Yippee! Eh."
Squall raised an eyebrow.
"Don't worry, I'll think of something," Rinoa said.
They headed out of the dormitories and into the main hall of Garden.
When Squall and the other administrators had decided to make uniforms mandatory on Garden property, it left Rinoa and Irvine as the only two people on campus dressed in civilian clothes. And then once Irvine and Selphie left for Trabia, Rinoa found herself alone in her pale blue shirt and tight black shorts.
She never cared much about dress codes and she'd always thought of herself as an individual, unafraid to stand out in a crowd. But the difference in clothing emphasized all the other differences. She was not a SeeD: she did not dress like a SeeD, or act like a SeeD. She didn't have their training or their experiences. Walking around in Garden, she felt, at best, like an outsider. At worst, like an intruder.
But when she held Squall's hand, she felt not only the comfort of his touch, but a sense of belonging in a world that was fundamentally different from hers. Squall's open and honest acceptance of her made her feel welcome, in a way that Squall would probably not understand.
"She's probably in the Headmaster's office," Squall said.
He turned and began walking around the circumference of the Garden, heading to the elevator. The way was dotted with uniformed SeeDs and cadets, walking between sections of Garden. As they passed, they nodded at Squall, and said, "Commander," respectfully. Squall would nod back, equally professional.
One cadet noticed Squall as they were passing. The cadet muttered, "Afternoon, Commander." As Squall nodded in reply, the cadet's gaze flicked from Squall, to Squall and Rinoa's clasped hands, then up to Rinoa. Rinoa locked eyes with the boy for an instant before he turned away. He seemed embarrassed, as if he'd be caught breaking a rule.
Rinoa tried to ignore it.
"I think you like this whole 'Commander' business," Rinoa said to Squall. She squeezed his hand.
"I like that the rules are being obeyed," Squall said. "And I like that things are getting back to normal. It feels… like home again now."
(Not for me.)
Rinoa and Squall arrived at the elevators. Squall pushed the button for the elevator, then stepped back. He waited a moment, then squeezed Rinoa's hand.
"You know, you're right," Squall said. "This isn't so bad. If anything, I feel more official now. More mature."
Rinoa smiled at him. "I keep telling you."
The elevator arrived. Now that classes were in session again, students actually had a reason to go to the second floor. A half dozen students filed out of the elevator, muttering quick salutations to their commander as they passed. Once inside the elevator, Squall pushed the button for the third floor, and together they rode up to the top of the Garden, their hands still clasped.
The elevator arrived at the third floor. The two crossed through the receiving room. The doors were shut, as usual. Squall knocked on the door and waited for a response.
None came.
He knocked again, slightly louder. Still no response. He exchanged a glance with Rinoa, then released his grip on her hand. He pulled open the door and poked his head inside.
"Headmaster?" he said into Cid's office.
"Is he in there?" Rinoa asked.
Squall pulled his head back out. "Doesn't look like it. Come on."
Squall pushed the door all the way open and stepped into the office, with Rinoa following close behind. Cid's desk was covered in papers, but his computer monitor was dark, and his desk empty. There didn't seem to be anyone around.
"Odd…" Squall said. "He's usually here this time of day."
"Headmaster Cid!" Rinoa called into the office. "Anyone here?"
"Hellooooo," a voice called from the top of the Garden's bridge. Squall and Rinoa tilted their heads up to see who was there. Nida's head poked over the edge of the bridge. He appeared to be laying on his belly, his eyes peering down at the two.
"Oh, hey, Commander. Hey, Rinoa," Nida said. He waved.
"Hi, Nida," Rinoa said. She waved back.
"What are you doing up there?" Squall asked.
"I like it up here," Nida said. "I miss piloting Garden, so I come here to read and study. The Headmaster says it's okay, as long as I don't eavesdrop on anything. So what's up?"
"Have you seen the Headmaster?" Squall asked. "Or Matron?"
"No and no, I'm afraid," Nida said. He shook his head. "Xu and the Headmaster went somewhere about a half an hour ago. I think they mentioned Balamb or something. And I haven't seen Edea in a while."
"I thought you weren't supposed to eavesdrop," Rinoa said with a smile.
"I er, well… I didn't mean to," Nida said. "Sorry, Commander."
"It's not a problem," Squall said. "Call me on the intercom if they come by here, okay?"
"Yes, Commander," Nida said. He saluted, but his arm was partially obscured by the bridge. Squall saluted back. Then Nida retreated from view.
"Oh, I hope Edea didn't go to Balamb," Rinoa said to Squall.
"I don't think she would," Squall said. "It's not safe for her outside of Garden. After all, most people don't know the difference between her and Ultimecia, so they'll blame her for anything Ultimecia did using her body."
"I guess so," Rinoa said. "So where would she be?"
Squall thought for a moment. "She's not in the dorms," he said. "And there's no reason for her to be in the parking lot or the training center. Want to check the library?"
"Sounds good."
They headed out of the office and rode the elevators back down. Once again, Rinoa's hand found Squall's. He took her hand into his. The elevator arrived on the first floor with a ding. Squall and Rinoa stepped out into a crowd of three or four students, who all nodded at Squall and cast quick, suspicious glances at Rinoa. Squall and Rinoa walked past. As they did, Rinoa turned and looked over her shoulder. Once again, she caught the students staring, before they all suddenly broke their gazes.
When they were a few steps away and the elevator doors were safely shut, Rinoa pressed close to Squall. "Everyone keeps staring at me," she whispered.
"It's because you're not in uniform," Squall said. "You stand out."
"No, they looked at me like that before sometimes," Rinoa said. "When everyone was in civilian clothes. They still stared, every now and then."
"I never noticed," Squall said.
"Well, yeah, they aren't staring at you," Rinoa said. They continued for a few steps.
(SeeD exists to defeat the sorceress. Where did I first hear that?)
"It's… because I'm the sorceress, isn't it?" Rinoa said softly. "That's why they stare."
Squall stopped walking and looked off to the side, silent for a few seconds. Rinoa had started to develop a knack for sorting out Squall's expressions. The one currently on his face suggested that this thought had already occurred to him before, but now he was thinking of the best way to phrase it.
"It'll still take a while for people to get used to you," Squall said, looking at her. "A large portion of our training is devoted to fighting the sorceress, and it's hard to unlearn that."
"I guess…" Rinoa said.
"You just have to give them time," Squall said. "C'mon. Let's go find Matron."
Squall's answer didn't comfort her much, but it was an honest answer at least. Squall was terrible at making the truth sound pleasant, but he wasn't a liar.
(Unlike some other men in uniform I've known…)
Together, the SeeD Commander and the sorceress walked into the library. With classes starting again, the library had returned to life. Students milled around between the aisles, some carrying three or four textbooks in their hands as they scanned through book titles. They worked at the computer stations or studied at the desks, pencils scratching sheets of paper.
As Rinoa and Squall looked down the aisles, they found Zell, peering around a corner, as if he was hiding from someone. Zell noticed them and jumped.
"Oh hey Squall fancy meeting you here huh?" Zell said. He rubbed the back of his head.
"Hello, Zell," Squall said, nodding.
"Nothing how about you?" Zell said.
Squall looked confused. "Huh?"
"Look at the time gotta run nice talking to you bye you two," Zell said. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and awkwardly strolled out of the library.
Rinoa laughed.
"What the hell just happened?" Squall said, turning to her.
"I think we interrupted him," Rinoa said.
"… I don't get it," Squall said.
(Squall's probably the only one in Garden who doesn't get it. It's kinda funny.)
"It's not important," Rinoa said. She dismissed his confusion with a wave. "I don't see Edea anywhere."
"Yeah, neither do I. She might be talking to Dr. Kadowaki. Let's check out the infirmary next."
They turned and left the library, doubling back past the elevators to the other side of the Garden. Rinoa kept a running tab of how many students were greeting Squall in the walkway, and of those students, how many of them gave suspicious glances at Rinoa. By the time they stepped into the infirmary, the count was at four of a total of five. Only one girl, a young cadet perhaps too new to fully understand the situation, had greeted Squall without also eying Rinoa.
(They just have to get used to me. It'll get better with time.)
The infirmary seemed even cleaner than usual. Without any missions going on, few students were returning to Garden injured. A lot of combat training had been suspended as well, until Zell finished his exams and got his next class in order. With no injuries to attend to, Dr. Kadowaki seemed to have nothing better to do than tend to the infirmary. As Rinoa and Squall stepped inside, they found the doctor and a cadet sitting at the doctor's work table, playing a game of cards. Dr. Kadowaki laid down a card.
"And plus… and combo," Dr. Kadowaki said, flipping over several cards from their red sides to their blue sides.
"What? Where?" the cadet said.
"Here, and here," Dr. Kadowaki said, pointing to the numbers on the cards.
The cadet hung his head and groaned "You have got to be kidding me."
Squall and Rinoa approached the student from behind, standing across the table from Dr. Kadowaki.
"Dr. K is not to be taken lightly," Squall said with the faintest smile.
"Don't worry, kid. Since it's your first time, I'll go easy on you," Dr. Kadowaki said. She picked up the lowest ranked card in the young man's deck. "You won't miss this one, will you?"
The cadet sighed. "Go on. Take it."
Dr. Kadowaki took the card and added it to her thick deck. The cadet gathered the rest of his cards and shuffled out of the infirmary, humbled.
"Can I interest you in a game?" Dr. Kadowaki said, eyeing Squall.
"Maybe later," Squall said. "Have you seen Matron?"
"Hmm… not since this morning," Dr. Kadowaki said. She organized her deck, then opened a drawer in her desk. She wrapped the deck in a rubber band, then stuffed the deck into a corner of the drawer and closed it shut. "Is it urgent?"
"We just have a question for her," Rinoa said. "Tell us if she stops by, okay?"
"Will do," Dr. Kadowaki said.
"Thanks," Squall said. He and Rinoa turned and left.
Once outside, Squall took Rinoa to the circular inner walkway and paused. He drew in a deep breath and exhaled.
"It's a little late for lunch," Squall said. "But she might be in the cafeteria."
"Let's go check it out," Rinoa said. "I'm kinda enjoying the walk."
"Me too," Squall said. "I needed a break."
When they reached the cafeteria, Rinoa's Suspicious Glare Count had risen to a total of seven out of eight possible. Only that one girl from before had passed by without at least a glance at Rinoa. It seemed that now that Rinoa was paying attention to people's stares, everyone was looking at her.
(Maybe I'm thinking too much.)
Meal breaks in Garden were scheduled to individual students and staggered, to keep the cafeteria from being overcrowded. The cafeteria had a few students wandering about and populating the tables, but it was after most assigned lunchtimes, so the cafeteria was relatively empty. This made it easy to spot Edea sitting by herself at a table in the middle of the room, eating a hotdog.
Maybe it was just Rinoa's heightened sensitivity to SeeD's treatment of sorceresses, but she noticed that, not only was Edea sitting at a circular table all to herself, but the tables around her were empty as well. With a few exceptions, almost all the students were sitting at the tables along the edges of the cafeteria, forming a wide, empty ring around Edea, as if she had some contagious disease.
(It can't just be my imagination.)
Squall and Rinoa went to her. Squall was apparently oblivious to the empty space around Edea.
"What are you doing all by yourself?" Rinoa asked, taking a seat across from Edea. She tried to sound casual, but she was hoping that Edea noticed the divide between her and the students as well. Squall did not immediately take a seat, until Edea gestured for him to do so. He pulled out a chair next to Rinoa and sat down.
Edea dabbed at her mouth with a napkin. "I decided it would be good to dine with the rest of the student body. It's important for me to be seen doing normal things. I may be a sorceress…" She paused. "… May have been a sorceress… but I'm still human. I eat hot dogs, just like anybody else."
Rinoa narrowed her eyes and looked at Edea's hands, which held cafeteria-issued plastic utensils. "You eat hot dogs with a fork and knife," Rinoa said with a smile.
Edea relaxed. "Ah, yes, well… my assimilation into SeeD culture isn't quite complete yet, I suppose. So how can I help you?"
Rinoa didn't know where to start, so she started from the beginning. She told Edea about the vision she'd had when Ellone sent her to the past. She was very careful to describe the details about the people's clothing, the phrases they used, and the way they talked. When she was done, she shrugged.
"I just… wanted to know if that rang any bells," Rinoa said.
Edea set down her fork and knife and pushed aside her plate. She folded her hands on the table. After a moment to collect her thoughts, she replied.
"There were people living on the Centra continent before Cid and I set up the orphanage," Edea said. "Not many, and they didn't build cities or any permanent shelters, which is why most people today assume that the Centra continent has been completely uninhabited since the Lunar Cry that destroyed the region. During our time there, we heard a few conflicting rumors from sailors and travelers. Some said that these few people were wiped out in a war, or famine. Others said they'd simply moved somewhere else, entered a city, perhaps Esthar, and gave up their old ways of life. Your description of them seems to match some rumors I heard, but I'm afraid that's all I know."
"What rumors did you hear?" Rinoa said. She leaned forward, eager to hear more.
"I don't want to give you any wrong impressions," Edea said. "They were untrustworthy rumors from untrustworthy people, and I'm more likely to lead you astray than guide you if I share these rumors with you."
"Anything you know might help," Rinoa said. "Please… I have to know something."
Edea paused for a moment to think. "Well… the rumor we heard the most frequently was that the Centra civilization wasn't completely wiped out after the Lunar Cry. That a handful of survivors still eked out a living in the barren rocks of the continent, preserving their lore and their traditions. I'm inclined to believe this is true, though I have no evidence of it. It seems unlikely to me that every single person in all of Centra would die in one event, especially a civilization as advanced as they were. A few people must have survived, or so I assume. But why they would choose to live as nomads instead of trying to rebuild is what confuses me. I would think if they were truly remnants of the Centra, they would attempt to reclaim their lost lives."
"The Centra Extinction was eighty years ago," Squall said. "Adel couldn't possibly have been more than eighty… could she?"
Edea shook her head. "No. Despite the rumors, extreme longevity is not among a sorceress's powers. We age and die within normal human lifespans. I suspect that whatever time Ellone sent you to was somewhere between the Extinction and now, probably no more than forty or fifty years ago. In fact, Ellone herself would probably be more of service than I. She would—I assume—at least be able to tell you approximately when and where she sent you, which would at least narrow your search."
"But that woman," Rinoa said. "The woman the man called 'Mother.' Have you ever heard of powers like that?"
"That is new to me," Edea said. "And disconcerting. It is unfortunate that your memory ends where it does. I have no idea what she did to Adel and Ultimecia. She is possibly another sorceress. I have heard that the Centra were known to venerate the sorceress power, and treat sorceresses as divinities. Again, this is pure speculation, but if these people are remnants of Centra, it would make sense for them to hold a sorceress in high regard, and dress her in fine clothes and call her by a name of respect. But what her powers are… I cannot begin to guess."
Squall changed the subject. "Back in Esthar," he said, "When you were talking to Dr. Odine, he mentioned something about 'exorcising' a sorceress. He said it was pretty simple for him to do. Could this 'Mother' person have had a power like that?"
Rinoa stiffened in her chair. She had, at times, hated and feared her powers. She disliked how being the sorceress made her a threat in other people's eyes, and an object of suspicion at Garden. Still, the thought of having her powers taken from her forcefully made her uncomfortable. The sorceress concept had become a part of her identity, and to lose it would be losing a part of herself.
Edea shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry. I really don't know anything more. I think, if you want to explore this further, you should read up about Centra history in the library. Or else you might consider getting in touch with Ellone and Dr. Odine. They would have more information."
"Esthar is back in communications blackout," Squall said. "I don't know how else to get in touch with them, short of physically going to Esthar."
Rinoa had an idea.
"Couldn't you try to contact Ellone?" she asked. "Through like, the mind-link thing you guys have?"
"I don't know," Squall said. "I've tried talking to her before, but it only seems to work one-way. She has to be the one to initiate the connection. I can't send a message, I can only receive."
"Darn…" Rinoa said. She turned back to Edea. "Well… thanks for your help. I really appreciate it."
"Yes, thank you, Matron," Squall said.
"I wish I could have been more use to you," Edea said. "I'm afraid I don't—"
Rinoa felt a charge in the air. It was as if someone was lightly brushing their hand across the very tips of the hairs all along her body. The feeling was familiar, somehow.
"Do you feel that?" Rinoa asked. She looked at Squall, then Edea. The other two at the table looked confused.
"Feel wh—" Squall started, but he was cut off by the sound of a fire igniting two tables over. A purple and blue flame roared on top of the flat metal table. It threw off no heat, but crackled and popped like a normal wood fire. In a few seconds, it was gone, leaving a woman with pale blue skin and sharp facial features on the table.
She was stretched out on her side, propping herself up on one elbow. She wore a flowing pink and blue dress. Her eyes were dull and lifeless, and a thin line of blood ran from the corner of her mouth down her chin. She wore an elaborate headdress made of the same colors and of the same material as her dress.
(I know her!)
Everyone in the cafeteria was on their feet in an instant. The cadets and the regular SeeDs pressed themselves against the walls, ready to fight or run as the situation required. Squall moved himself between Rinoa and the sorceress on the table, defending Rinoa and Edea. He reached for his waist, but he had not taken his gunblade with him.
"It's one of the sorceresses from Time Compression," Squall said. He held his arms out, shielding the two women behind him as best he could.
"What's it doing here?" Rinoa whispered.
Edea was the first to move. She stepped around Squall, hesitantly moving towards the broken sorceress. The sorceress on the table moaned, filling the cafeteria with a low rumble of pain and misery.
"She's dead," Edea said. She turned to Rinoa and Squall. "But she cannot truly die until she passes her powers on to another."
The sorceress moaned again, and all the SeeDs in the room except for Squall backed away. People were creeping along the edges of the room, trying to sneak their way out of the cafeteria, never taking their eyes off the sorceress.
"I'll do it," Rinoa said. She stepped around Squall and proceeded to the sorceress.
"Rinoa!" Squall said, reaching for her arm. Edea held up a hand to stop him.
"The sorceress cannot harm anyone," Edea said. "It's all right."
Rinoa took another step towards the sorceress. Though the broken sorceress's eyes were clouded, unseeing, she seemed able to sense Rinoa's approach. She moaned again, and reached her weak arms towards Rinoa, pleading.
"It's okay…" Rinoa said, both to herself and the sorceress. "It's okay."
She got as close to the deceased sorceress as she dared and reached forward. Her fingertips brushed against the other sorceress's hand. A jolt of power flowed from the dead sorceress into Rinoa, temporarily giving her a rush of energy, an electric sensation that ran through every part of her body. The feeling faded, and the sorceress on the table sighed, whether in relief or despair, Rinoa could not say.
The sorceress collapsed onto her back and went limp. Then another purple flame engulfed her completely. The fire did not burn her skin or her clothes, but when the fire died away, so too vanished the sorceress. The table showed no remnant of her presence, no items left on the table, no burns from the fire.
Nothing.
Rinoa looked around her. The few SeeDs still remaining stared at Rinoa with a mixture of shock and terror. But Rinoa suspected that there was more terror than shock at that moment. Squall approached Rinoa. He stood in front of her, defending her once more, and raised himself to his full height, addressing the remaining students.
"Carry on, everyone," Squall said. His voice was low with authority. "The situation is under control."
Squall's voiced snapped them out of their stupor. The SeeDs remaining grabbed their trays and their supplies and exited the cafeteria, no longer interested in food. Some had already begun nervously chattering with each other. Within a few moments, the cafeteria contained only Squall, Edea, and Rinoa.
(Squall didn't tell them to leave. He just said to carry on.)
(They left because they're afraid.)
(Afraid of what?)
(You.)
Rinoa clasped the ring she wore on her necklace. The ring she had gotten from Squall. She closed her eyes.
Squall turned around and faced Edea.
"What was that?" Squall said.
"Again, I find myself with no answers to give you," Edea said. "You said you recognized this sorceress?"
Squall folded his arms. "Yeah. After time compressed, we encountered several rogue sorceresses floating around in time. We fought and defeated them, and then they disappeared. This was one of them."
"They had to go somewhere," Edea said. "A sorceress cannot die until she has passed on her powers to another. This one chose to come here, and now."
"But… why?"
"These questions are beyond me, Squall," Edea said. "I have nothing to offer you."
Rinoa opened her eyes, still holding her ring with one hand. "Was it… because of me? Did it come here for me?"
Edea stepped close to Rinoa and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Rinoa, let me offer some advice. Never call a sorceress 'it.' She is a human, and you are a human. You are not a monster, and nor was she. Some sorceresses make bad decisions, they become corrupted by their power. But they are not monsters, even in their darkest moments."
Rinoa nodded. "O-okay…"
Edea glanced back and forth between Squall and Rinoa. "I have nothing to tell you. This is truly unprecedented. But I believe that everything happens for a reason, including this. That sorceress, she chose this place and this time for a reason. I think it is critical that we understand what that reason was. Something like this may happen again, and we need to be ready."
"I agree," Squall said. "Odine would be the only one who would know. He came up with the time compression plan, and he knows more about sorceresses than any of us. And even if he doesn't know the reason behind this, he might be able to figure it out."
"Indeed," Edea said.
"But who do I send to Esthar?" Squall asked. "Irvine and Selphie are in Trabia, and—"
"You go yourself, of course," Edea said. "You and Rinoa. You two were the ones who witnessed this event. Rinoa is the one with questions about sorceresses and the Centra. Furthermore, you're one of the few people that would be allowed into Esthar. There is no one else who can go."
Squall shook his head. "But I can't leave Garden," he said. "There's too much to do. And the situation in Timber is not looking any better."
"It's not looking any worse either," Edea said. "And remember, you have a competent Lieutenant Commander for just such an occasion. Quistis will be able to manage until you return. We will all manage."
Squall crossed his arms and looked to a distant corner of the cafeteria. Rinoa tried to examine his expression, to see what he was thinking. Eventually, she realized that he was making his I-don't-agree-with-you-but-you-sort-of-have-a-point face. Finally he looked at Rinoa.
"I'll leave it to you," he said. "Do you want to go to Esthar?"
Rinoa found herself with a million things to say, but no way to sort through her thoughts. It seemed like Timber was finally rising up in a coordinated rebellion against Galbadia, the city's numerous resistance groups working together to push the invaders off their land. Rinoa had dreamed of the day that open rebellion would finally break out in Timber, and she wanted nothing more than to be a part of it. Although the Forest Owls had been unofficially disbanded, their members scattered around the world, Rinoa felt obligated to finish what she had started when she first came to Garden to ask for SeeD's help.
(Seems like so long ago now.)
She thought then that she had a plan to end Timber's occupation once and for all. By coercing Vizner Deling, using SeeD, she would force the President to free Timber. But she knew now that there was no quick solution to the problem. Vizner Deling had been removed, violently, from his office, but still Timber was occupied. The only thing that could free Timber, it seemed, was an open rebellion. Which was what was happening right now. If Rinoa left for Esthar, she would be half a world away, unable to help the people she considered friends and allies. She had agreed to fight with them, fight for them, and she would be moving away from the heart of the conflict.
(What if they need me?)
But then she remembered the look of fear on the SeeD's faces when she claimed the slain sorceress's powers. The looks in the hallways she received on a daily basis, just walking from room to room. She was feared, both in Garden, and around the world. If Timber did rise up, what would she do? Would she rush in to defend them, use her sorceress powers to crush the Galbadian army? She could do that. She could do that very easily.
(But then I'd be just like Adel and Ultimecia.)
Squall had told her that one of the major reasons SeeD was staying out of Timber was because SeeD's involvement would make a war inevitable. Once Timber got SeeD's troops on their side, Galbadia would have no choice but to either immediately surrender or go to war. The same was true, Rinoa realized, if a sorceress got involved. Rinoa's interference would spark a retaliation, just the same as SeeD's involvement would.
She hated it, but she was needed elsewhere. The questions in her mind had become too big to leave unanswered, and the sorceress from time compression demanded explanation. Esthar was so far away…
(But there's no one else…)
"Yes," Rinoa said. "I want to go to Esthar."